


Temporary Insanity

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-06-08
Updated: 2002-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:44:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Josh gets a little bit crazy.





	Temporary Insanity

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Temporary Insanity**

**by:** Evelyn

**Disclaimer:** Aaron Sorkin owns everything

**Category:** Romance/Angst, Josh/Donna kinda of

**Rating:** YTEEN

**Author's Note:** Thank you again to Shelley for her careful editing, insight, and encouragement. This is a stand-alone story. 

Like Rocky Balboa, bloodied but triumphant, howling for his Adrian, Josh Lyman strode through the halls of the White House bellowing for his woman. 

"Donna? Donna? Victory is mine. Bring me the finest...." 

Josh arrived in the bullpen to find Donna's computer monitor off, her jacket gone from the back her chair. He was surprised. He'd been certain that his assistant would be standing at her usual post, watching out the window, awaiting his triumphal stroll up Pennsylvania Avenue. 

He looked around the small office area, as if Donna were playing hide-and-seek and he but had to search and she would appear. When she didn't, after a moment, he wandered into his own office and there spotted a yellow post-it note dangling from his desk lamp. 

"Hope you kicked some Republican butt! (Do I need to send any apology fruit baskets?). You've got senior staff at 8 tomorrow. See you in the morning. Check your messages." 

Josh glanced at his watch. It was 9:30, which he immediately translated to almost 10, given that, as Donna pointed out on a daily basis, it was a 'crappy' watch. He wondered why she'd left so early, ignoring the fact that it was a Friday night, and it had been a long week, actually a long month, no really, a long year. 

He sat down at his desk, deflated. He'd gone 10 rounds with recalcitrant Republicans and defiant Democrats and emerged with the broad ranging education bill that had been held up in committee for almost six months. And now there was no one to celebrate with, or more precisely no Donnatella Moss in the office with whom he could crow about his brilliance. 

Josh glanced through his pile of messages. The top one was a call from Amy, actually the top three were messages from Amy. He briefly considered returning her calls, but the truth was he couldn't brag to Amy about his successes. The last time he'd done his victory strut, her comment had been succinct. 

"Cool it jackass." 

It's not that Donna didn't do her best to keep Josh's 'planet-sized' ego in check, but somehow, there was always a smile behind the zinger. Sighing, Josh picked up a file and started reading a report on the spawning habits of salmon in the Pacific Northwest, but threw it down on the desk after just a few paragraphs. 

"No reason I couldn't call her and give her the good news," Josh thought to himself. He picked up the phone and quickly hit the first number on his speed dial to connect to Donna's home telephone. When the answering machine clicked on, however, he put the phone down without leaving a message, disappointed again that he couldn't share. He thought for another moment, and then hit the second number on his speed dial to connect to Donna's cell phone. 

"Josh?" Donna answered after two rings, recognizing the phone number from the caller ID. 

"Hey, guess what? They caved like.." Josh started to gloat. 

"What, what did you say? I can't hear you," Donna answered, the noise in the background making it hard for Josh to hear her. 

"Where are you?" he asked. 

"At Gilligan's," Donna shouted, naming a popular bar in Georgetown. 

"Oh," Josh said, a little miffed that she'd left for a bar without him. "How come you left so early?" he demanded, speaking loudly so she could hear him. 

"We talked about it this morning, Josh. Don't you remember you agreed that I could leave at 9:15?" Donna answered, raising her voice, the sound of laughter and music almost drowning out her words. 

"Oh, right. I forgot," Josh admitted. Then gathering steam again, he continued. "Once I'd convinced Stackpole..." but his description of his clever strategy was interrupted when Donna said, 

"Yes, thank you." 

"Yes what?" Josh asked confused. 

"Yes I'll have another whiskey sour," she answered, then he heard her say, "With a couple of extra pieces of fruit, please." Clearly, Donna was talking to a waiter. 

"How many whiskey sours have you had?" Josh pressed. 

"This is just my second, and please remember I'm not the one with a sensitive system. And if you eat one more of my nachos, you're a dead man," and Josh heard Donna giggle. 

"Excuse me, Donna?" Josh asked puzzled and more than a little irritated that someone, other than himself, was clearly swiping Donna's food. 

"Sorry, Josh. Don't you just hate it when people steal your food," she said with a laugh. 

"I feel your pain," Josh said, smiling despite his mounting exasperation. 

"Do you need me to come back to the office, Josh, otherwise..." Donna left unfinished her question. 

Josh paused and thought for a moment. He wanted her to come back, but there wasn't anything that couldn't wait until morning, except for maybe his ego. 

"No, I'll see you then," he answered quietly. 

"Great job, Josh. I'll bring you the finest bagels and muffins in the land to celebrate. See you in the morning," and Donna hung up, a little too fast for Josh's taste. 

He sat staring at the report on salmon, not able to focus and not caring much where, when, or why salmon did or did not spawn, when Sam leaned into his office. 

"How'd it go on the Hill?" Sam asked. 

"They agreed to the changes," Josh said in a subdued voice. 

"You sure don't sound like the conquering hero," Sam said puzzled. 

"No, no. I'm just glad we finally got the bill out of committee," Josh said. 

"Want to get a beer to celebrate? Toby and I were just going out. Join us?" Sam asked. 

Josh sat for a moment and thought. Then a small smile, the first one that he'd had since arriving back from the Hill emerged. 

"Sure. I know just the place to go," he said standing up. 

Gilligan's was loud, noisy, and overcrowded. Josh, Toby, and Sam threaded their way through the crowd to the bar, where they each ordered a beer. 

"Why'd you pick this joint?" Toby demanded, irritated at being jostled by a Washington lawyer-type angling to get closer to the mahogany bar and more precisely to the sultry woman seated on the bar stool next to Sam. "I just wanted a quiet place to unwind, not a 'meat' factory," he groused. 

"Oh stop bitching. You need to get a life," Josh said, drawing on his beer and surveying the room. The bar was ten feet long and had a host of young DC professionals crowded around it, four deep. But on the other side of a half wall were booths and tables where you could order appetizers and other food, if you were so inclined. 

Sam looked at his friend who was carefully scanning the room and turned to look around himself. He'd had a vague notion that Gilligan's hadn't been a name Josh had suddenly pulled out of the air, and when he spotted a familiar face at a table for two across the room, it all made sense. 

"Hey, isn't that Donna?" Sam asked innocently. 

"Where?" Josh demanded, swiveling his head in the direction Sam was pointing. 

"And isn't that..." Sam started. 

"What the hell is she doing with him?" Josh said angrily. 

"Eating nachos," Sam replied easily, with just a hint of a smile. 

"I thought this had all been settled months ago," Josh swore under his breath. 

Toby turned away from the redhead who'd been trying to make conversation with him at the bar, and sipped his beer, following the stares of his two companions. 

"Hey, isn't that Donna and...what's his name again," Toby asked. 

As the three men watched, Donna threw her arms up in the air, as if in celebration, grinned broadly, then jumped up, pulled her dinner companion to a stand, and gave him a big hug. Then they both sat down and Donna lifted her glass in a toast. 

"Well somebody's celebrating something," Sam pointed out. 

"Not for long," Josh said, finishing his beer in one gulp and heading over to Donna's table. 

Donna was stuffing a large, brown envelope in her tote bag when she looked up to see her boss glaring at her. 

"Josh," she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?" 

When Josh didn't immediately answer, but continued to glower at her, she smiled and said, "You know Casey Reed don't you. He's the owner of CapitolScoop.com." 

"I know him," Josh said tersely. 

Casey stood and offered his hand to Josh, who after a moment, reluctantly extended his own. 

"Want to join us," Casey asked with a smile. 

Donna looked over to the bar and got nods from Sam and Toby. She noticed Sam's smug smile. She waved, and then said, "That's ok, Josh is here with Toby and Sam." 

"No, I have a few minutes," Josh said deliberately, pulling up a chair from a neighboring table. Turning to face his assistant, he demanded, "What are you doing here with him?" 

Casey started to smile and reached for a nacho on the plate in front of Donna. 

"Order some of your own," Josh snapped, turning his head to glare at Casey, who quickly withdrew his hand. 

"How many beers have you had?" asked Donna, starting to laugh. 

"Just one, and I repeat the question, 'What are you doing here with him?' I thought this was settled months ago," Josh said harshly. 

"Oh, you mean the job offer?" Casey interjected. 

Josh turned and gave one of his famous death-ray glares, which had surprisingly little effect on Casey, who then added, "It's a standing offer. Anytime Donnatella wants to join our operation..." 

"She doesn't," Josh answered firmly. "And don't call her that." 

"Donnatella?" Casey asked incredulously. 

"Yes," Josh growled. 

"Excuse me," Donna interrupted. "I'm quite capable of speaking for myself, Joshua. This dinner isn't work-related," and then smiled, leaving Josh wondering what the hell was going on. 

"So is this a....a date?" Josh sputtered, "Cuz you can't do that either." 

"Donnatella can't go out with me," Casey demanded. 

"Yes," Josh said flatly. 

"Yes, Donnatella can go out with me?" Casey asked with a small smile on his face.. 

"No, she can't go out with you. It's... it's...it's a conflict of interest. And stop calling her that," Josh said, his voice rising. 

"I want to be sure I understand this, Lyman," Casey said, his voice low, but with a tinge of laughter. "See if I have this right. I can't offer Donnatella a job?" 

"Right," Josh nodded. 

"I can't date her." 

Josh nodded again. 

"I can't call her Donnatella," Casey added. 

"Definitely not." 

"And for good measure, I can't eat her nachos." 

"That sums it up," Josh agreed, nodding furiously. 

Casey just grinned. 

"Joshua, could I have a word with you?" Donna asked, surprisingly sweetly, pulling on Josh's sleeve as she stood. She looked over at Casey, smiled, and said, "Remember, you owe me. This entire conversation has been off-the-record. Finish the nachos, I'll be right back." And with that she dragged Josh to a quiet corner of the bar. 

"Are you pissed?" Josh asked, as soon as she'd gotten him backed into a corner, her hands on his chest. He looked at Donna's face. Actually she didn't look pissed at all, he thought to himself. She looked... she looked...he had to clear his head to process exactly what kind of look Donnatella Moss had on her face and suddenly he recognized it. She looked like she was the cat who had just swallowed the canary in a Tom and Jerry cartoon. 

"Joshua," Donna said in a low, quiet voice. 

"Would pleading temporary insanity make any sense under the circumstances," Josh asked, trying to look anywhere but Donna's face. 

"Nope," she answered succinctly. She removed her hands from his chest and stood back, crossing her arms. 

"My dinner is arriving," she said with a smile, "and I think Sam and Toby are waiting for you." 

"You're going to go back to Casey?" Josh asked, in a voice that sounded more desperate than he'd wanted it to. 

"Of course. I've known Casey since my freshman year of college. He is and always has been a good friend. And we're celebrating tonight," Donna answered. 

"What are you celebrating?" Josh asked petulantly, angry again that she was celebrating any victories but his. 

"Casey just sold his first novel. I've been helping him edit it. He just handed me the last three chapters," Donna said. 

"Oh," Josh said. Running his hands through his hair, and looking down at the floor, he finally said quietly, "I'm sorry." 

"I'll see you in the morning, Joshua. I'll bring the finest muffins and bagels to celebrate," Donna replied, starting to turn away.. 

"Donnatella?" Josh asked tentatively. 

She turned back and looked at him expectantly. 

"I'm not sure why I did this tonight. I don't usually get this crazy," Josh said, puzzled and confused, waiting for her to explain his behavior because he sure as hell didn't understand what had just happened. 

"As brilliant as you are, Joshua, I'm counting on you to figure it out for yourself. And soon, Josh, soon." With that Donnatella kissed him lightly on the cheek, stepped back, smiled warmly at him, and then turned and headed back to her table. 


End file.
